1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method for the manufacture of motor vehicles.
2. Description of the Related Art
Series vehicle construction requires suppliers to make modules available on the manufacturing line in due time and in the necessary quantity for producing the motor vehicles. Furthermore, just-in-sequence production has been adopted in series vehicle construction to deliver the modules in the order in which they are processed. The lead time for the delivered modules depends on the manufacturing duration of the modules, on the delivery distance and on the degree of bundling during the transport of the modules.
DE 102 21 733 A1 discloses a manufacturing method in which vehicle bodies are the modules that are to be delivered. The vehicle bodies are manufactured in a geographically remote production shop up to tally point without chassis, wheels and engine. Modules are transported in a defined number and predetermined call-up sequence from this production shop to the manufacturing location by rail. The modules are unloaded from the rail wagons at an unloading station. The unloaded modules then are separated and fed into the manufacturing line. However, only vehicles of a model series with an identical assembly stage can be manufactured by this known method.
The object of the invention, therefore, is to develop a method for manufacturing motor vehicles, with the advantageous just-in-sequence delivery being preserved, but enabling at least part of the manufacturing of vehicles of two different model series to be performed on one and the same manufacturing line.